Have you been playing “phone tag?” You know the routine: you call and leave a message, the other party returns your call and leaves you a message, and on and on. By the time you actually speak with the person you were trying to reach, you’ve left two or three messages.
Don’t despair! Use each message to give the listener another opportunity to see that you are the trusted advisor that he/she wants on his side.
With those recorded messages, the party on the other line has already formed an opinion about you based solely on your speaking voice. People “hear” your intellect, your personality, and even your manners through the tone of your voice. How do you increase the odds that your message will make a positive impression and be returned?
In order to leave a lasting impression and get the results you want, you must make developing good voice-mail techniques a priority. Whether you want to establish a great relationship, make the big sale, land your perfect job, or make a good impression on a potential client, there’s no substitute for preparation. It’s all about your content and delivery.
Here are some great tips for leaving effective messages:
Know what you want from your listener. Write down in one sentence what action you want to put into motion by your message. A well-written action step can effectively state your request and move your process forward, avoiding that frustrating game of phone tag.
Organize your message so that you state the most important information first, since you may be cut off at any time.
Speak clearly and not too quickly. Pronounce your first and last names clearly, spelling your name if people may not recognize the spelling. The person you are calling could become annoyed if you make them replay the message because they could not understand it. Planting your feet firmly on the floor as you speak will help you sound more confident and authoritative.
Place a small mirror on or next to your desk and look into it when leaving voicemail messages. A smiling face leaves a much brighter-sounding message with a 72% greater opportunity of being returned.
State your telephone number clearly, pausing briefly wherever a “dash” would be in your telephone number. It doesn’t hurt to repeat it, either.
Get to the point. Know when to stop talking. People will appreciate your brevity! Most messages do not get returned because people are simply very busy. Many of us are frantically active from dawn to dusk. To get returned, your message must be so compelling that it wins out over the 15 other urgent things needing attention. Yet, many messages do not even come close to addressing the specific needs, desires, wants, and concerns of the person being called.
When you find yourself calling several times, try this strategy: Clearly and briefly mention how your product or service can resolve each of your listener’s “pains.” Refer to a different problem each time you call.
Include very brief pauses after expressing important ideas. This allows the listener time to process and hopefully remember the idea. This can be particularly useful if you are requesting information from the person you are calling. Give them enough time to write it all down. You are more likely to get reliable, accurate information.
Leave your name and telephone number again at the end of your message.
A little preparation can lead to being heard and getting results. You dramatically increase the likelihood that your calls will get returned and your outcomes will be achieved when you leave a concise, rehearsed message with a bright and energetic voice.
Remember: According to a recent UCLA study, 84% of your message is conveyed by the quality of the voice and the intelligibility of the speech when selling by phone. Pitch, tone, inflection, and pronunciation can make the difference between an unreturned message and a chance to close your sale.
Accent On Business founder and CEO Ellen Dunnigan is a seasoned voice and speech coach for business professionals. For nearly two decades, Ellen has coached leaders, entrepreneurs, sales people, media personalities, amateur speakers, and those with voice issues to become more charismatic and influential. She is locally and nationally known for helping leaders give voice to their vision, and for creating confident, memorable, and credible speakers.
Ellen Dunnigan is a masters prepared speech-language pathologist with specific training in voice, English, foreign-accent reduction, and neurolinguistic programming. She is nationally certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.
Dunnigan offers more advice on professional communication and public speaking skills on her website http://www.AccentOnBusiness.net.
For more information or to schedule an interview or consultation with Ellen Dunnigan, call (317) 843-2983.